Authors: Cary Caffrey

Tags: #Fiction, #Science Fiction

Codename: Night Witch (50 page)

BOOK: Codename: Night Witch

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"Ah," Suko said knowingly. "Now I see. The survivors of Scorpii and the Night Witch together again. I suppose you'll be taking Victoria, as well?"

"I haven't asked her yet, but I will. And I'll need others, Suko—if we're going to do this right."

Sigrid waited and watched. Suko's brow was twisted and she was chewing her bottom lip, which could either mean she was plotting and planning—or getting ready to throttle her.

"Leta will insist on coming," Suko said. "And Trudy will be devastated if you leave her behind. I suppose you'll head for Earth. Back to the Crossroads?"

"Actually, I had another destination in mind. I-I want to start with the Independent worlds. I thought Hecate—"

"Hecate! Bloody hell! Sigrid, are you mad? The same people that wiped out Alcyone? You want to start a war with them?"

"Not a
war
, Suko! I think we've all had enough of war. I was thinking perhaps a diplomatic mission. Harry Jones is dead. He used the people of Hecate—just as he used everyone! I-I just thought, after everything that's happened, well, I thought perhaps we might…talk."

"Talk? They nearly killed poor Lei-Fei and Khepri—
and me!
And you want to bring them back to talk? Have you forgotten what they did to Mei and Tara?"

"I—blast it, I don't know what I thought!" Cursing, Sigrid kicked at the sand. Suko was right, and this was a terrible idea. "I don't know anything! I'm an idiot, Suko. I'm a fool. And I don't know a thing about diplomacy."

Suko gave a long sigh and shook her head. Sigrid was certain she'd chide her again. Instead, Suko stepped in front of her—it was the only way she could stop her pacing—and took her gently into her arms.

"No, you're not a fool, Sigrid Novak. You might be the bravest, most steadfast, sweetest and sexiest woman inside and outside the Federation. But you're no fool."

"You-you think I'm sexy?"

"And brilliant. I think your plan is brilliant. I think we've all had enough of war and fighting. Perhaps this talking thing might become all the rage."

"You-you think I'm sexy?"

Suko gave her a double take. "Didn't you hear what I said? I said your plan was brilliant."

"Then you
don't
think I'm sexy?"

Suko growled. "I think you are very much aware of what I think. And look at you, parading around without even your bathing togs. You know exactly how sexy you are. I won't be baited so easily."

"Then…you'll let me go?"

"Let you? I'm not your keeper, Sigrid, I'm your lover. It isn't for me to tell you what you can and can't do."

"Well…good then." She had more arguments prepared, but apparently she wasn't going to need them. "Because you're coming as well."

"I am? A little presumptuous, don't you think? I have duties here, you know."

"Perhaps, but you're coming, all the same. You're my partner. You're sworn to serve at my side."

"Yes, about that…"

"About what?"

Suko stepped back, holding her at arm's length. "About this whole 'partner' business. We need to talk."

"Uh-oh."

"I've come to a decision. I…I don't think I'm happy as your partner."

Sigrid gaped back at her. "You're—you're not happy?"

"As your partner," Suko said again. "There's just something about that word. It's a little dry, don't you think? Partner. Blech. It could mean anything. We're not in business, you know."

"No," Sigrid said, half panicked, "of course not. Suko, what on Earth are you on about?"

"Lover? Paramour?" Suko paused, as if to mull over the word, tilting her head from side to side. "I suppose it fits. Though it's a bit lurid in mixed company. And girlfriend? We're not children anymore. And we're certainly more than friends. At least I hope we are."

"Of course we are! Suko, you are
so
much more than that. You know you are! And…you're kind of freaking me out."

Ignoring her, Suko continued. "You were right about one thing. I did swear an oath to you, Sigrid. I swore to stay at your side for the rest of my life. I swore to love you."

"You did, didn't you," Sigrid said, nodding. "Yes, I'm quite sure of it."

"But I never swore an oath to be your partner."

"Suko, if there's something I've done, you can tell me. You know you can."

Suko grinned and shook her head. "You really don't have a clue what I'm talking about, do you?"

As a matter of fact, she didn't. By this point she was thoroughly confused and more than a little anxious as to where any of this was leading. But if Suko's words were causing her a lion's share of anxiety, the way she was holding her—the strength of her arms around her, the tenderness of her embrace—was enough to leave her weak in the knees and she was sure she would swoon.

"I'm
asking
you to marry me, Sigrid Novak. I'm asking you to be my wife."

Of all the things Suko might have said to her, this was by far the one that Sigrid completely failed to see coming. Her next words came out as a series of choking coughs. "As-as in m-marriage? As in…as in…that thing, and the ring and vows?"

"Yes," Suko said, arms folded now.

"And then you'd be my-my-my…"

"
Wife
," Suko said. "I believe that's the word you're struggling with."

"You?" Sigrid said. "Want me? To-to marry you?"

"Me! Yes, me! Of course bloody me! Unless there's someone else?"

"No!"

Sigrid threw her arms around Suko's neck and bombarded her with a wave of kisses that swept across her face, to her lips and her cheeks and down her neck and back up again.

"Wait," Suko said. "Wait. Hold on a second. Did you just say no? Did-did you just turn me down?"

"What? No!" Sigrid said. "I mean yes! I mean no. No, Suko, there is
no
one else. And yes, of course I'll marry you!"

"You will? You're saying yes?"

Pausing to catch her breath and steady herself, Sigrid held Suko's face in her hands.

"Suko, I will marry you in a heartbeat. I'll do it now. I'll do it tomorrow. I'll do it every day and for the rest of our lives, if you wish it. It's always been you, Suko. All my life. You've been my friend, my protector, and you've been my lover. I wouldn't have it any other way. Of course, my love. Of course I'll be your wife! For now and forever."

"For always," Suko said.

"Yes," Sigrid said. "For now and for always."

PATRONS & CIRCLES

Two figures stood in the shadows of an unmarked alley. The fact that it was unmarked was perhaps fitting. Just another cul-de-sac in a dead city on a forgotten world.

The body of the courier lay in a crumpled heap in a pool of filth and oil. Blood seeped from the gaping gunshot wound in his forehead.

"You did it," the patron's secretary said. "You actually killed the messenger."

Raising the hideout pistol, the patron blew the smoke from the hot barrel before placing it back into its holster. "He should have known to bring us better news. Clearly, he failed to convince Ms. Novak of our good intentions. Perhaps his replacement will learn from his mistake. See that he's properly compensated."

"You do realize he's quite dead," the patron's secretary said, poking at the body of the courier with a booted toe, as if to verify this fact.

"Send his stipend to his family. If he has one."

"Excellent. We can charge his services to the Jones account."

"No. Have those assets frozen. I don't want anything traced back to us."

"Frozen?" the secretary said. "
Our
own
assets? You do realize how much we had invested in Mr. Jones? More than three and a half billion—"

"Yes. In adjusted Federated dollars. You remember I sign those cheques you keep putting in front of me, don't you? Though it's not nearly as much as we have sunk into his successor. A truly deep pit of financial despair, if there ever was one."

"I thought you'd given up on that plan. The cost—"

"Is irrelevant," the patron said. "You're a brilliant bookkeeper, my friend, but your vision is lacking. Harry Jones was an excellent asset. He served us well."

"Excellent?" the secretary said. "Hardly exemplary. His obsession with the Kimura Corporation was his downfall. For goodness' sake, he tried to destroy the Circle—and us with it!"

"A mistake his successor will not be allowed to make. The women of Alcyone will make a far better ally than they do a foe, something we must impress upon them."

"So that's your plan? To make friends?"

"I'm not planning on inviting them to tea, if that's what you're worried about. But, yes, we shall help them. We will help them however we can. Lend them whatever aid they need."

"And Jones?" the secretary said. "What of all his work in genetics?"

"Dump it. Write it off. The only time I want to hear the words Kimura, Alcyone or Novak are when you're in the midst of telling me how wonderfully happy they are to know us."

"Love?" the secretary said. "That's your plan?"

"
Friendship
, my friend. Cooperation. There is no reason we have to be at cross-purposes."

"Hmm…" The secretary mimed writing all this down, though, of course, wrote nothing. "Yes. I'll get on that straight away."

"Harry Jones will be missed, but his battles are over. Our war, on the other hand? Why that, my dear friend, has not yet begun."

~ The End ~

Table of Contents

Books by Cary Caffrey

PROLOGUE Cor Caroli

Part One Awakening

CHAPTER ONE Rebelle

CHAPTER TWO Contracts

CHAPTER THREE Escape